Editor and Reporter Handbook
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Editor and Reporter Handbook The Scout | Fall 2019 (8/19) TABLE OF CONTENTS The Scout statement of principle …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3 Organizational Chart ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4 Employment ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4 News-gathering guideline ………………………………………………………………………………….……………………. 5 Editing guideline ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7 Byline ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8 Conflict of interest …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8 Social media guideline ….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9 Corrections ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 9 Accountability …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9 “We shall be Conservative, in all cases where we think Conservatism essential to the public good; —and we shall be Radical in everything which may seem to us to require radical treatment and radical reform. We do not believe that everything in Society is either exactly right or exactly wrong; —what is good we desire to preserve and improve; —what is evil, to exterminate, or reform.” — The New York Times in 1851 2 THE SCOUT STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLE For over 120 years, generations of student journalists of The Scout worked tirelessly to bring news and information to the Bradley community. These young men and women witnessed and documented the almost the entire history and transformation of Bradley University. We, student journalists, have gone to great length – and, often, made sacrifices – to uphold our responsibilities as agents of the truth. From pens and paper to online and social media, we, too, have transformed over time. Although in the 21st century, information transmits faster than ever, and in many forms that never eXisted a decade ago. Regardless of the forms, we insist on the highest standard of integrity and ethical behavior as we gather and deliver the news. That means we report quickly, accurately and honestly, in a balanced and impartial way. These efforts have been and will be rewarded with the trust of our community. With such responsibility, we abhor inaccuracies, carelessness, bias or distortions. We will never knowingly introduce rumor or false information into publications of any forms. We verify the sources of all information. We preserve the appropriate professional distance from those we cover. We clearly identify advertising on our platforms and keep out commercial activities separated from our newsroom. We must be fair. Whenever we portray someone in a negative light, we must make an eXtra effort to make sure that person is being represented fairly, that includes obtain a response from that person. When mistakes are made, they must be corrected – fully, quickly, transparently and ungrudgingly. This handbook is based on The Associated Press Stylebook, 2017. In situation that is not covered in this handbook, editors may use the Stylebook as a reference. 3 ORGANIZATIONAL CHART EMPLOYMENT The Scout offers employment and internship opportunities to undergraduate students of Bradley University. The Scout also provide unpaid opportunities for many entry-level positions such as reporters and photographers. ______ On-staff employees are required to performs his or her regular duties on time defined by the job description. All on-staff employees must perform some other mandatory duties, such as distribution and attend all staff meetings. Failure of performing stated duties may results payroll withhold, payroll deduction or termination. When registered as an internship, failure to perform stated duties may also lead to a failed grade for registered internship credit. ______ Off-staff positions require applicants to perform assigned tasks promptly. When having trouble to perform assigned tasks or can no longer perform a task, he or she must notify his or her section editor immediately. All off-staff positions must attend all staff meeting, but not required to perform distribution. Failure to perform assigned tasks may result in termination. All reporters and editors must comply with all federal and local laws, as well as Bradley University’s student conduct. Any violation may result in internal review or termination. 4 NEWS-GATHERING GUIDELINE The internet and social media have changed reporting dramatically nowadays. The easier to communicate, the faster the information travels. A timely reporting may be able to bring all the clicks we want, and the timeliness is, without a doubt, very important; but the quality of the news is the foundation and the lifeline of the Scout. We must always treat the quality prior to the speed. A successful news-gathering requires thorough background research. Be prepared and have a fair amount of understanding, without opinionated perceptions, on the subject before going into the field and interview any news sources. We do not misidentify or misrepresent ourselves to get a story. When we peruse a story, we always identify ourselves as Scout journalist. We balance the newsworthiness of a story with respect for people’s privacy, and do not engage in paparazzi-style news or image-gathering. When recording an interview, including phone interviews, we ask consents of all participating interviewees. Although the federal law only requires the consent of at least one participant to record a conversation, the state of Illinois requires consent from all participants who are being recorded. It is wise to verify the name, includes spelling and pronunciation, and the official title of the interviewee at the beginning of the interview. When gathering images, photojournalists or photographer should identify him or herself and notify the event organizer, or police officer at the scene, before start gathering images. Some event may have specific rules on using flashlights. In many cases, the interviewee may require to be “off the record” for some reason. It is important to understand the definition of both terms and clearly identify what part of the information will be “on the record” or “off the record.” On the record: The information can be used with no caveats, quotes the source by name. Off the record: The information cannot be used for publication. Often times, off-the- record information can help the reporter to understand the scope of the situation. Transparency is critical to our credibility. Whenever possible, Scout reporters should pursue information on the record. Therefore, Scout reporters should try to persuade the source to put a minimum amount of information off the record and maXimum amount of information on the record. For some off-the-record information that is essential to the story, the reporter may ask the permission of Editor-in-Chief or Managing Editor and try to persuade the source to put the information as background, the information that can be published under certain conditions or without attribution. 5 When Editor-in-Chief or Managing Editor approves the use of anonymous source, the editor must carefully eXamine the situation with guidelines below. We only use a source anonymously when: 1. The material is information and not opinion or speculation, and is vital to the report. 2. The information is not available eXcept under the condition of anonymity imposed by the source. 3. The source is reliable, and in a position to have direct knowledge of the information. When an anonymous source is used, we must eXplain why the source required anonymity. And, when it’s relevant, we must describe the source’s motive for disclosing the information. If the story hinges on documents were obtained, at least to the eXtent possible. Simply quoting “a source” is not allowed. The Scout routinely seeks and requires more than one source, both sides of opinions should be presented fairly when relevant. Quotation must not be taken out of conteXt in any situation. We do not alter quotations, even to correct grammatical errors or word usage. If a quotation is flawed because of grammar or lack of clarity, it may be paraphrased in a way that is completely true to the original quote. When a quote’s meaning is too murky to be paraphrased accurately, it should not be used. Ellipses should be used rarely and must not alter the speaker’s meaning. We must make significant efforts to reach anyone who may be portrayed in a negative way in our content, and we must give them a reasonable amount of time to get back to us with his or her response before any forms publication. In situation that the involved personals cannot be reached or did not respond our offer, we must eXplain in the story what efforts were made to offer the fair opportunities of responding. With the transparency efforts, we also have the responsibility to protect the privacy of victims. In general, we do not identify any seXual assault victim, or victim of any other eXtreme abuses. We may identify victims of seXual assault or eXtreme abuse when victims publicly identify themselves. We also do not identify minors who are accused of crimes or who are witnesses to them. Identify such minors must be approved by the Editor-in-Chief with consultations of the adviser. When we have to use non-original content, such as an image from a student who is not related to the Scout, we must ask for permission to publish in a written form and note the credit properly. This rule eXcludes contents that were submitted to the Scout, includes but not limited to – phone calls, letters, emails, online submission, social media interaction or direct messages. Last but not least, we strictly prohibit any kind of fabrications or plagiarism